Chicago Tribune Political Cartoons, 1918-1929 - America in Class

“Misplaced Economy”
Chicago Daily Tribune, April 25, 1922
Cartoonist: John T. McCutcheon
Although the U.S. avoided “foreign entanglements” during the isolationist 1920s, issues of foreign policy and defense preparedness
never left the front pages of American newspapers. One contentious issue in 1922 was funding for military aviation.
On April 19, 1925, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a naval appropriations bill that reduced aviation research funding
from $4.2 million to $2 million a year. One day before this cartoon appeared, the Tribune reported that “Japan is conducting an
unprecedented campaign of aircraft building, research, and training. . . . Our committee would spend $2,000,000 in one year
while Japan is spending $30,000,000 annually.” In June the Senate voted to restore the funding.
Reproduced by permission of the Chicago Tribune. Digital image courtesy of ProQuest Historical Newspapers.
National Humanities Center Political Cartoons from the Chicago Daily Tribune, 1918-1929 10